<b>North Jersey</b>

Trout fishing was slow, but recent rain cooled trout streams, and Big Flatbrook could fish well for trout in early mornings, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Plenty of trout swam the Flatbrook, and tricos and Griffiths gnats in sizes 20 or 22 could draw strikes before 9 a.m., during morning’s lower temperatures, especially after a rain that helped cool the water. Many anglers avoid trout fishing in summer because the fish could die during the fight in warm water. Walleyes and hybrid striped bass were clocked on lakes like Hopatcong at night on livelined herring or top-water lures like Zara Spooks. The hybrids bit more at daybreak than at night. Lake Hopatcong and local ponds gave up largemouth bass on tackle like ¼-ounce or 3/8-ounce jigheads with a craw or a beaver from Riot Baits in black or blue, dark colors, fished at weeds. A few smallmouth bass were picked from Delaware River.

Few fished in last week’s heat, said James from <b>Behre Bait & Tackle</b> in Lebanon. Storms also kept people from angling, and not much was reported because of the weather. But days looked cooler now, so maybe more anglers would head out. Little could be recommended for anglers who wanted to fish, because of no news. But trying for hybrid striped bass at Spruce Run Reservoir could be recommended. They’d be caught the same ways as before, he said, and locate the bait, and fish there with livelined herring. Previously he said the herring were fished under slip bobbers at first light, last light or 12 midnight to 2 a.m. They could bite all day, but dusk and during the night fished best.

Rain raised Passaic River, after the river had been low, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Almost no reports rolled in about fishing the river, like about northern pike fishing, when the water rose. But a 20-pound carp was fought from the river on a nightcrawler. Lake Hopatcong produced largemouth bass on jigs with swim baits or on drop-shots. In saltwater, fluke fishing seemed hit or miss. Either good or slow reports were heard.

Waters were blown out by rain a few days, but the rain was needed, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Good smallmouth bass fishing was socked on Raritan River, mostly on Senko rubber worms or Z-Man TRD rubber worms. Anglers bought lots of largemouth bass gear for ponds and lakes, no particular ponds or lakes. Lots of top-waters or rubber frogs, Hula Poppers and Zara Spooks were picked up for the angling. Hybrid striped bass were fought from Lake Hopatcong at night. Not a lot happened with trout fishing because of summer’s warm water, unless cool water was fished for the low-temperature-preferring trout, like Big Flatbrook, Pennsylvania spring streams or upper Delaware River. Much fishing was typical of summertime: searching for water deep enough for lower temperatures, and dealing with many waters choked with weeds.

Many anglers fished local lakes and ponds with kids in early mornings and evenings, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. They fished for lots of panfish like sunnies, some chain pickerel and a few largemouth bass that bit. Nightcrawlers or killies under bobbers were favorite baits. Or the killies could be free-lined. No shiners are stocked in summer’s warmth. The tank to keep them in was warm, even, and the baitfish will probably be stocked again beginning in September. No lack of catfish were around that could be angled. Not many crappies could be caught, except at places with deeper water including Manasquan Reservoir and Lake Shenandoah.  Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River’s catfishing picked up in the past week, said James from <b>Harry’s Army Navy</b> in Robbinsville. It was on fire, he said, and he guessed last week’s heat made them active. Otherwise, nothing really changed in fishing, or fishing was the same as he reported before, he said. Previously he said largemouth bass began to bite in lakes in early mornings, a summer pattern. Try for them at weed beds or ledges with jigs or Slider worms. Largemouthing had already been productive at night on lakes. James would fish then with big lures like a rat or a swimming plug. Surely smallmouth bass hit in Delaware River, like at Lambertville. The boat ramp there is one of the best places for shore-angling for them.

Largemouth bass to 3 or 3 ½ pounds could be plucked from Delaware River, said Mike from <b>STC Sports</b> in Gibbstown. Anglers weren’t giving away specific locations, including because the Ike Celebrity Pro Am Bass Tournament will be held Saturday on the river on the Camden waterfront. The tournament is produced by pro bass angler, celebrity and South Jersey native Mike Iaconelli’s Ike Foundation and the Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers & Outdoor Program to raise money to get kids fishing. But spinner baits and soft-plastic lures will hook the bass throughout daytime, not just during low-light hours like dawn, dusk or nighttime. Mike from STC pulled largemouths from Greenwich Lake on purple soft-plastics during the weekend. The baits had to be purple that day, and the color bass prefer can change on the lake. The bass weighed up to 3 pounds on the trip, but Mike was taking his niece fishing on the outing, wasn’t fishing as seriously as he could. Catfish could always be grabbed from Delaware River on bait like bunker chunks. Snakeheads could be wrestled from the river’s tributary waters along Route 44 in West Deptford. They’ll wallop hollow-bodied, rubber top-water frogs.

No matter the heat last week, good largemouth bass fishing was cracked at lakes, <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown’s Facebook page said. Dawn and dusk fished best, and Parvin Lake seemed a top spot. One customer at Parvin heaved in the bass to 6 pounds on Yamamoto spinner baits and Zoom Fat Alberts, a rubber grub with a curly tail. Another landed the fish to 5 pounds on minnows at the lake. Another fished Union Lake, cranking in largemouths to 4 pounds on a new kayak, a Wilderness Systems Ride 115.

Fishing was a little slow, but Salem Canal and Lake Audrey still gave up good reports about largemouth bass catches, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Senkos, finesse worms and jigs were often tossed to them. Audrey is one of two South Jersey lakes where smallmouth bass were stocked, but nothing’s really been heard about smallmouths from there in years. Union Lake is the other, and smallmouths are reported from there at different times of year. Resident striped bass usually turn on in Maurice River in August, and sure enough, the stripers were caught. Swim baits, popper plugs and other top-water lures can hook them. Nobody mentioned details like time of day or tides that fished best for them. Though fishing was slow, last week was so hot, and rainstorms rolled through at the beginning of this week. Better news about angling could come in during the relatively cooler days now.  In saltwater, good summer flounder fishing was boated on upper Delaware Bay. The upper bay, like toward Fortescue, definitely produced most reports. Quite a few flounder still bit in back bays.

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